Loose-leaf binder.



No. 880,352. PATBNTED PEB. 25,' 1908.

' C. S. BROADWELL.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 27, 1907.

iii

. CHARLES S. BROADWELL, OF SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

` Patented Feb. 25, 1908,.

Application filed August 27| 1907. Serial No. 390.355.

To all' whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. BROAD- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residin at Santa Rosa, in the county of Sonoma an State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders; and it has for its 'object to* provide an improved device of this class having flexible inder posts, constructed of wire rope and serving to connect the boards constltuting the covers of the device in sucha manner that the latter may be readily laid open for the inspection of any one of the leaves.

Further ob `ects of the invention are to simplify -and improve the construction and operation of this class of devices.

' With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood,l the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated asimple and preferred form of the invention; it' being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the recise structural details therein exhibited, iiut that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

'In the'drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional vview of a loose leaf binder constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. Zis a detail lplan view showing one side of the cover open, for inspection, and part broken away for the purpose of exposing subjacent parts. Fi 3 is a perspective detail view of the meta lic back portion of the cover, detached. Fig. '4 is aslde ele- A,

vation, partly in section, of one of the binder posts. Fig. 5 is a pers )ective detail view of the engaging end of sai post. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of the cap member used in connection therewith. Fig. 7 is a detail view inside elevation, partly in section, vof

' one of the. flexible binder posts and the extension member sometimes used in connection therewith. Fig. 8 is a persfpective de' di ed o tail View illustrating a nio of the 'extensionm'embers Corresponding arts in the several figures are denoted by liffe characters of reference. The improved binder comprises the front rm of one and rear coyer boards 1-2 which may be made of wood, asteboard or other suitable material, suitab y covered with pa er, textile fabric, leather or other suitab e material or combination of materials. A rigid strip 3 of metal is hingedly connected with the back edge of the front cover board 1 the hinge connection being formed by the flexible material 4-4 with which the parts are covered; aback member 5 is in like manner connected with the back edge of the rear cover board 2; said back member consisting of a curved or trough shaped strip of metal having a longitudinal liange 6 adjacent to the edge which is connected with the cover board; said curved or trough shaped strip being provided with reinforcing braces 7 the functions of which will be hereinafter fully set forth. Hingedly connected with the trough shaped member 5, along the free edge of the latter, is a strip 8, preferably of metal, mating or corresponding with the strip 3 attached to the back edge of the front cover board. The strip 8 is preferabl connected with the trough shaped mem er 5 by means of flat metallic loops 9 engaging suitable slots 10 in the proximate edges of the connected parts which in this manner will bestrongly and efficiently connected; the covering material 4 is extended over the back member 5 and the strip 8in such a manner as to present a neat finish.

The 'binder posts P of which any desired usually considered sufficient, are firmly secured upon thevstrip 3 adjacent to the front cover board from which they project inthe direction of the rear cover board; the strip 8 being provided with apertures 11 for the assage 'of said posts. The bodies of the atter. are composed of pieces 12 of'wire cable or rope, possessing great strength and sufficient flexibility to enable them to bend or yield in the act of laying open the binder for athe inspection of leaves placed therein. The

outer ends of the bodies ofthe posts are provided with metallic ferrules 13 suitably connected therewith and having sockets 14 which are internally threaded and provided with grooves 15 extending longitudinally through said sockets and disposed at diametricallyopposite sides of the latter. The posts are provided with detachable caps 16, exteriorly engaging the ferrules 13 and having screw threaded Shanks 17 engaging number may be used although two are' all held securely against turning; the braces simple and efficient' l entered intothe capsnearly as far as they vShanks and the sockets which is found suf- .threaded portions of the sockets, the troughings, when the transverse reinforcing braces l 7 of said trough-shaped strip will engage the the threaded sockets and having diametricopposite reduced or yflat faces 18 enab ing the saidshanks, when the threaded portions thereof are placed in alinement with the grooves 15V/*of the sockets to be slid or moved lengthwise in the latter to the desired position after which, by a quarter turn of the caps, the threaded portions of the Shanks may be placed in engagement with the threaded portions of the sockets, thus connecting the parts and. assembling the saine with sullicient security for all practical purposes. The caps have been shown as being of polygonal sha e, and provided with flat faces 19 to enab e them to be grasped and turned by the thumb and finger of the operator, without the use of wrenches, keys or other tools.

It will be readily seen by the construction described the extremities of the ferrules will engage or enter into the portions of the caps surrounding the Shanks, thus presenting a neat `finish when the tips of the ferrules are will go, a quarter turn of the capswill secure the latter firmly upon the posts, this being practically the extent to which they may be moved; when the binder has been practically filled with loose sheets or'leaves, to such an extent that the shanks of the caps may only Abe partiallyv entered into the sockets of the ferrules, the expansive pressure of the sheets or leaves will create a friction between the threaded portions of the ficient to retain the parts securely in posi` tion when assembled. The caps, the Shanks of the latter, and the sockets of the ferrules may be made of any desired dimensions to increasethe capacity of the device to the' desired extent. After the caps have been turned to engage the shanks withA the shaped strip 5 is turned over the caps, to the position indicated in Fig. 1 of t e drawflat side 'faces of the caps which are thus a being properly located to cooperate with the. caps in the manner indicated. The braces 7 will thus not only serve to reinforce the trough-shaped strip 5, but they constitute locking devices whereby the ca s 16, when accommodated lin the trough-shaped strip, will be prevented from being accidentally turned or displaced, thus constituting a ocking device.

For the purpose of facilitating the insertionl of additional leaves in the binder when the latter has been nearly filled', extension members are provided for use in connection with the binder posts, said extension menibers consisting of cylindrical rods 21 of a diameter corresponding with that of the `into which the screw threaded Shanks 17 of posts and the ferrules from the ends -of the atter; said rods beingv provided witlr screw threaded Shanks 22 for engagement with the y at' the outer ends of the binder posts, and

the caps 16 may be inserted; this construction being illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings where the socket upon the end of the extension member is designated 14.

In operation, the loose leaves or sheets are perforated in the ,manner customary in this class of devices to enable them to be strung upon the posts P; after which the extremil ties of said posts are entered througlnthe apertures 11 of the strip 8, and the .caps or extension members are then placed in position; loose leayes being suitably strung upon the extension members when the latter are used.l The caps 16, or the heads of the extension members, as the case may be, are accommodated within the trough sha ed back member 5, and it will thus be seen t at no metallic parts, screws, bolts, connecting members or the like are exteriorly exposed c upon any portion of the binder. This is regarded as a very im ortant advantage for the reason that scratc mg or marring of the polished surfaces of tables, desks or counters upon which the binder may be laced for examination of the contents will t us be avoided. Loose leaf binders of ordina construc-- tion, so far as I am aware, have a ways been open to this objection, the metallic parts having been exposed to a greater or less extent; by the present invention Ithis objection is entirely overcome.

of the binder posts, the device may be readily laid open for examination of any one of the leaves or sheets contained therein, in such a manner that such leaf will be flatly exposed, and' not `bulged or curved as is usually the case; this is obviously extremely desirable; especially in cases where it is found necessary to write upon the leaves.' The construction moreover 1s such as' to admit of the parts being readily disassem- It will also be Aobserved that owing -to the flexible nature bled for the removal' of leaves, or the placing of newl leaves at various oints.

Having thus fully descrlbed the invention what is claimed as new is vl1. 'A binding device comprising covers, a trough shaped back member flexibly connected with one of the covers rigid stri s flexibly connected respectively. with` e trough shaped back member and with he back edge ofthe mating cover, flexible ppsts secured u on the strip attached tothe ack edge of t e mating cover and adapted to engage apertures in the strip connected with the trough sha ed back member, and cap members detac ably engaging the flexible posts.

2. In a bind' device comprising covers, a y trough shaped ack member flexibly connected with one of the covers, rigid stri s flexibly connected respectively with t e trough-shaped back member and with the back edge of the mating cover, binder osts secured upon the strip attached to the ack edge of the mating cover and. engaging apertures in the strip connected with the trough-shaped back member, cap members detachably enga ing the binder posts, and cap engagling1 loc ing means connected with the'troug -s aped back member.

3. A binding device comprising covers, a trough-shaped back member flexibly connected wit one ofthe covers, rigid strips flexibly connected respectively with the trough-shaped back member and with the back edge ofthe mating cover, binder posts secured upon the strip attached to the back edge of themating cover and engaging apertures in the strip connected with the troughshaped back member, polygonal cap members detachably engaging the binder posts and transverse braces secured in the troughshaped back member and adapted for engagement with the side faces of the polygonal cap members.

4. In a loose leaf binder a pair of cover members, binder posts connected permanently with one of the cover members and extending through apertures in the other cover member', cap members upon the projecting ends of the binder posts, a troughshaped back member connected with one of the cover members and adapted to'be folded over the cap members at the projecting ends of the binding osts, and means connected with said troug -shaped b ack member for locking the cap members.

5. A binding device comprising a front cover, a rigid strip flexibly connectedy therewith, a rear cover, a trough-shaped back member flexibly connected therewith, a

rigid strip flexibly connected with the trough-shaped back member and having apertures, flexible posts secured upon the strip connected with the front cover and having socketed ferrules engaging the apertures in the strip connected with the troughshaped back member and cap members having Shanks detachably engaging the socketed ferrules.

In testimony whereof I affix in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. BROADWELL. Witnesses:

GEORGE N. SALIsBURY, WILLIAM H. GRAHAM.

my signature 

